Chateau Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol, 2016

Pomerol texture at a right-bank price you can actually justify. Siaurac is one of the flagship estates of Lalande-de-Pomerol, the appellation just north of Pomerol that trades on the same plush, Merlot-driven charm for a fraction of the outlay. This 2016 is Merlot-led with Cabernet Franc and a splash of Malbec, from an estate that came under the Francois Pinault group (of Chateau Latour) and, starting with this very vintage, converted its farming to organic and biodynamic. 2016 was an excellent, balanced right-bank vintage, and the wine reflects it: silky, perfumed, built on finesse rather than muscle. It's drinking beautifully right now, so pull the cork and enjoy it over the next few years. Serve around 60-64F with a short decant.